CHRISTMAS
COOKING
Beef Wellington
Ingredients
Serves 12 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 70 mins Recipe adapted from the Co-op.
• 2 tbsp olive oil • 1.5kg British boneless beef roasting joint
• 4 tbsp English mustard
• 15g unsalted butter
• 400g chestnut
Method
mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed • Sprig fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 500g puff pastry
• 6 slices prosciutto • 1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 200oC/fan 180oC/Gas 6. Lightly oil a baking tray. Rub half the oil over the beef joint and season with salt. Sear in a heavy based frying pan, over a medium heat for 5 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and brush over the mustard.
Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan and gently cook the mushrooms with the garlic and thyme for about 5 minutes. Season and taste.
Roll the pastry out to a rectangle a few centimetres longer than the beef joint,
and wide enough to fold over the joint, to encase it. Arrange the slices of prosciutto across the pastry, then sit the beef in the middle of it. Spoon the cooked mushrooms over the beef.
Bring the prosciutto and pastry up and over the beef, then seal it and trim the ends, making sure the joins are well sealed. Use the trimmed pastry pieces to create decorative holly leaves.
Score the top, add your decorations, then brush with the beaten egg and place on the oiled baking tray, join on the underside. Cook for 1 hour, until golden. Use a meat thermometer to check the beef - these
are out of the oven temperatures: Rare: 48–52°C, Medium Rare 55–59°C and Medium 60–66°C. Leave to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before serving.
We don't prescribe to the belief that this has to be the toughest meal of the year to cook - here are some great recipe ideas to make the day magical with minimal fuss
Roasted Vegetables En Croûte
Serves 6 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 80 mins. A fabulous, celebratory main course for the vegetarians in attendance. Courtesy of the Co op.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/ Gas 7.Toss the pepper, onion and sweet potato in the sunflower oil on a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Put the tomatoes on top,
cut side up, and cook for another 10 minutes, then scatter over the spinach and return to the oven for 2 more minutes, until just wilted.
Transfer the roasted veg to a large bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the oregano and feta and season with black pepper.
Lay out the pastry and, keeping it on
its paper, lightly roll it out widthways to make it slightly wider. Beat the egg, then brush all over the pastry. Arrange the vegetable mixture along the middle to make a thick sausage shape, leaving a border of about 4cm at each end. Fold
both short ends of the pastry over the vegetable mixture, followed by the long sides, to completely enclose it.
Trim off any excess pastry and make shapes to decorate. Using the pastry paper, carefully turn the parcel onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, so the joins are underneath. Carefully make 8 small, evenly spaced cuts along the top of the pastry and then add your decorations. Brush the pastry with
the remaining egg, then bake for 25 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 180°C /fan 160°C /Gas 4 and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Slice into wedges to serve.
27
Ingredients
• 1 red pepper, deseeded & sliced • 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 250g sweet potatoes, diced
• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g cherry
tomatoes, halved • 50g spinach
• 11⁄2 tsp dried oregano
• 80g feta, crumbled
• black pepper
• 320g sheet puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten